The Red Bull Knows Me
by lostangel007
Summary: What if the Lady Amalthea did confront the Red Bull?
1. The Red Bull Knows Me

The Last Unicorn, the Red Bull Knows Me  
  
Disclaimer: I obviously do not own "The Last Unicorn," the wonderful author Peter S. Beagle does. This is a fanfic, for fun.  
  
Setting: This story takes place while The Lady Amalthea, Schmendrick, and Molly are staying at King Haggard's castle, and I chose to tell this story from Amalthea's point of view.  
  
Unicorns are not so much creatures of the night; rather, we are creatures of light, creatures of day. But I shall not speak so humbly of my own kind, for I am not even sure if I am my own kind anymore. Yes, I am not a night creature, yet I find I cannot escape the night. I find myself without sleep at night in this strange place, instead of peacefully sleeping back in my lilac wood. There is no scent of lilac here. Why, it is doubtful that lilac could even survive here!  
  
Again, like the night before this, I find myself wandering to the balcony to study the ocean, searching for my "sisters". I stay for hours at a time, hoping to get a glimpse of at least one. But I stand for too long, and grow tired. The name "Amalthea," surrounds me now, like a curse, and I do not care to have a human name branded upon me. I have always been "Unicorn," a title that I have always been nothing but proud of, and a name that speaks for itself.  
  
I can not stand up any longer, I am growing weaker, and I must get some sleep. But I hear him; I hear him breathing, and simply being. The Red Bull.  
  
I have not seen him since before I was turned into a human. He does not know me as a human. Or does he? I pause, looking again out to the ocean. But my search is still yet in vain.  
  
Perhaps I have been looking for the answers in the wrong places. Perhaps the only way to find the other unicorns is to go to what drove them away- the Red Bull.  
  
But he could kill me; I am even more vulnerable in this human body.  
  
But he will not recognize me as a human; he turned away as soon as I was changed.  
  
I turn to leave at once, but something caught my eye. It was the raven again; he had been seen perching on the ledges around the castle, watching us lately. I am not sure if this particular raven was the same one at the old gypsy's carnival. He sat perched on the nearest ledge to the balcony, seemingly smiling, and seemingly knowing.  
  
I go on my way, feeling the Raven's eyes tear into my back, almost tearing apart my human skin, and exposing what I really am, a unicorn. Could it be possible that such a simple creature like a raven could know who I really was? If a raven could see past my inferior human skin, could a great creature like the Red Bull know?  
  
I proceeded on my way, down the castle steps, careful in my walk. I did not want to wake the others, least of all, the Prince Lir, as even though I still have the eyes of a unicorn, every time I see him, I strangely seem to forget that I AM a unicorn.  
  
The next chapter (the conclusion) will be posted soon. All critical comments and suggestions welcome! 


	2. I Know The Red Bull

The Last Unicorn, the Red Bull Knows Me  
  
My current thoughts of Prince Lir where gone once I left the castle, and found myself on the beach. Strange, the night air is always dry and warm here, one would think otherwise with the sea so close by.  
  
It must be the Red Bull that makes it so.  
  
I can already feel him, his fire and heat warming my body. Perhaps his fire will melt away this human skin? I could only wish.  
  
Above me, the raven circled, cawing, daring to laugh at me. If I was still in my unicorn body, he would not have done so. But in this human body, it is easy for him to do so, although I can sense he knows who I really am.  
  
I stood on the beach, again staring out at the calm sea. The Red Bull will come soon, I just knew. I could feel it.  
  
I am not afraid, at least-I do not think that I am? This new skin is the start of many questions, and worries.  
  
Yes. Yes, I am afraid. I shall turn back, perhaps another night.....  
  
But the Red Bull did not give me sufficient time to turn back, for he was there.  
  
And I dared, let me tell you, I dared to look this creature of Hell in his burning eyes, and took a step back, for caution, but not without taking my eyes from the Red Bull. I waited, to see what he would have done. Maybe he would attack me now, as I was alone.  
  
The Red Bull snorted, and stamped his hoofs a little, but kept his fiery eyes level with my own.  
  
Thoughts of my long journey and of how dearly I wanted to find the other unicorns came back to me then-I had always thought that when I found them again, I would find them live, in the flesh, in front of me, so alive I could hear them and feel them and smell them.  
  
But now, in my moment with the Red Bull, I could only see them in his eyes. His eyes seemed to tell their story, as I could see a vision of the unicorns, they where trapped in the sea, lost and recluse from the world, and from myself. I breathed, taking it all in, and that was when I first heard him. I heard him in my mind, speaking to me.  
  
It startled me at first, to hear The Red Bull speak at last. I stepped back a bit, never taking my eyes from him. I noticed he did not move when he spoke, and was speaking through me telepathically. As a unicorn, I have communicated with many a creature in that manner, but never before was it so painful. Every word he said was a new cut and wound to my mind. Yes, it hurt, but I continued to listen, for I had to find out about the unicorns. I moved my head a little, trying to shake the pain....  
  
"I know who you are. I know what you are." The Red Bull swished his tail, but remained calm.  
  
"If you know who and what I am, then, why do you not drive me into the sea like the other unicorns?"  
  
"The human body protects the unicorn inside. But not forever. Do you not know that you will die inside that body?"  
  
"I feel as if I have died long ago." The raven took this moment to call, as if it was listening to our silent conversation.  
  
The Red Bull was silent for a moment, perhaps giving me time to reflect on the reality of death. I felt the horrible feeling of wetness coming to my eyes, something I never had to worry about, when I was a unicorn. Why did death all of a sudden start to frighten me? I never let it worry me before.  
  
The Red Bull went on: "You can be free. You can join your own kind once again."  
  
I glanced over to the sea, to where my sisters where.  
  
"That is where you belong-they wait for you. Do you not hear them calling?"  
  
I listened. And strangely, enough, I thought I did hear the calls of the other unicorns beneath the waves.  
  
"Let me bring you to your sisters. You will be free at last." The Red Bull took a step closer to me. "You will be safe there. Have the magician change you back and I will take you there. You will be happy again."  
  
I considered, looking to the sea once again. Everything was silent, even the raven did not caw; it was if even he and was holding his breath for my answer. I could be with others of my own kind, once again, and my long journey would be over. I turned to The Red Bull once again, but was suddenly distracted by a figure above, on the balcony. Prince Lir. He was looking out to the sea, as if searching for something, just as I have been. I turned my eyes back to The Red Bull.  
  
"I cannot."  
  
The Red Bull's eyes burned with rage, but he did nothing. I began to walk away from him, back to the castle. His voice, now enraged, cut once again into my mind.  
  
"You will be sorry. A unicorn can never survive within a human's body. You will soon find out."  
  
I continued my walk back. The sun was beginning to rise, and the raven circled above me, and then was gone. I looked back once, and The Red Bull was gone as well.  
  
The sea was calm, giving me reason to believe that my sisters respected and understood my decision.  
  
"We will wait for you." I thought I heard another voice, one that was not The Red Bull's; speak to me as I began the walk up the castle stairs.  
  
"We will wait for you." 


End file.
